1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bending tool for roofing material and a method for making the tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The bending tool is used to bend the end of a metal roof panel to the height of the major rib of the roofing panel to prevent water from blowing under the flashing. Water blowing under the flashing allows the water to enter the structure and is a common problem with metal roofing. The manufacturers of metal panels recommend that the sheets be bent to prevent water from entering the structure. Heretofore, there have been no such tools for bending metal roofing. The present invention provides a tool with a channel that solves this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 297,103, issued on Aug. 9, 1988 to Theodore S. Parish, Sr., shows a sheet metal bending pliers which clamps down upon tightening of a screw. It is not designed to bend metal roofing because it would be tedious and time-consuming due to the clamping device that would have to be opened and closed. Further, there is nothing to limit the height which the pliers bend the sheet metal. The channel of the instant invention eliminates any clamping, which would be harmful to the roofing material, and limits the height to which the roof panel is bent to the height of the channel.
Other prior art patents designed for bending sheet metal do not contemplate bending of a roof panel, much less bending it to a certain height. Such tools exhibit many problems which the instant invention is designed to solve. The tools in many of these patents are too narrow to provide a uniform bend. They must be used several times over a section, a time-consuming and arduous task. The present invention is wide enough to bend an entire section of a roof panel (the portion between two major ribs).
Further, many of these prior tools have a groove which is too shallow, resulting in an inability of the tool to bend a roofing panel to the desired height. Finally, the tools in other patents are not adapted to accept a roofing panel; rather they are designed for sheet metal. In contrast the instant tool contains a channel which is configured to accept a roofing panel and bend it to a predetermined height.